May 30, 2025 | By Bob Rives
Kay Self was once the only student in her grade in a one-room country school. Then a move into Elbing, population about 200, brought a new adventure at age 11. Her teacher, who lived just across the softball diamond from the school, had a TV set and invited the seventh and eighth grade kids to […]
| By Joe Stumpe
As visitors from Orleans, France, toured the Chance Rides plant in west Wichita this spring, they spotted a familiar sight: the same kind of miniature train engine that pulled kids around a park in their hometown for decades. “I would say all natives of Orleans, from the ’50s to 2000, wore their pants out on […]
| By Sherry Kline
WELLINGTON — Nearly a century after its last stop, the Orphan Train movement continues to fascinate. Jim and Sunni Bales became interested while visiting the Orphan Train Museum in Concordia, especially in the stories of those children who had come to Sumner County. Jim Bales is director of the Chisholm Trail Museum here. When Sunni […]
| By The Active Age
Plant extra, feed someone in need The Plant a Row for the Hungry program, now in its 25th year in Sedgwick County, encourages local gardeners to grow a little extra this season and donate the surplus to help fight hunger in our community. With an estimated 15 percent of Sedgwick County residents experiencing food insecurity, […]
| By Ted Blankenship
Recently I watched an old movie that included a performance by the late Bing Crosby, a crooner from the 1920s through much of the 1970s. Singing wan’t Bing’s only musical talent. He could whistle, which he did on “The Christmas Song” and more than a dozen other tunes. He didn’t whistle much in the movie, […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Many presidents have written books. Use these clues to match these books to their authors. The answers appear on below. 1. The most prolific of all U.S. presidents, this Rough Rider wrote 45 works of biography, history, public policy, and adventure. 2. What president’s book, “Keeping Faith,” was published in 1982 and provides a detailed […]
| By The Active Age
Tewa Tacos 2 cups flour 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons lard or shortening 1 cup water Lard, shortening or oil, for frying Toppings: 1 lb. ground beef 1 yellow onion, diced, divided use 1 ½ cups stewed tomatoes 1 cup cooked pinto or black beans Green or red […]
| By Jim Miller
Strategies for Paying Off Credit Card Debt Does Medicare Cover Vision Care and Eye Exams? Top Job Search Resources for Older Job Seekers How Much Advil (Ibuprofen) Is Too Much? Strategies for Paying Off Credit Card Debt Dear Savvy Senior, My husband and I, who are retired, have accumulated about $7,000 in credit […]
| By Jim Guarino
I’ll never forget the moment I realized mother needed serious help. She had always been self-sufficient and always there for all her children. Now, at 86 years old, she couldn’t properly care for herself. She didn’t remember if she took her medicines, what she ate for lunch or even if she had eaten. She couldn’t […]
| By Diana Morton
Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, You Take the Cake by Misty Maynard. Set in 1925, this original comedy follows two drifters who find themselves in debt to a mob boss who forces them to work in his nefarious bakery. Shows on Fri-Sat, 8 pm, Sun matinee 2:30 pm. June 6-29. Tickets are $17 on […]
May 1, 2025 | By Joe Stumpe
Arland Wallace’s first stint at Wichita State didn’t go well. He enrolled in 1970 and bailed after one semester. “I quickly realized I was in over my head,” he said. Fifty-five years later, he’s about to graduate. Wallace is finishing his degree despite undergoing surgery for a cancerous brain tumor last fall, and he plans […]
| By The Active Age
GODDARD — Carolyn Weeks made the first move in the romance that set the Goddard Senior Center buzzing. She suggested that she and Gary Herrman go someplace where they could talk alone. Then again, it was Gary who started carrying Carolyn’s tray and walking her to her car after lunch. The two octogenarians wed last […]
| By The Active Age
As a freshman at the University of Kansas, Doug Stark was elected social chairman of his fraternity, then re-elected twice more. “Everybody who knows me knows I love to entertain,” he said. “I put on really good parties.” That hasn’t changed, although Stark now leads a group called the Grumpy Old Men, who raise money […]
| By Joe Norris
People who live in more wooded parts of the nation enjoy making jokes about our tree-challenged prairie landscape. But because Kansas has fewer trees, a higher percentage of them have interesting stories. The small town of Council Grove has more than its share of historic trees, so my wife and I took a day trip […]
| By The Active Age
If you’ve lived in Wichita for any length of time, you’ve probably seen artist Greg Johnson’s work without realizing it. He created the pink car that appears to have flown into the side of the Auto Body Complex building, easily visible from I-135. Johnson, who’s owned the body shop for 46 years, now spends more […]
| By The Active Age
The Active Age won several awards in the 2025 Kansas Press Association contest, including first and second place in the column writing category for publications in the largest circulation category. Ted Blankenship won first place in column writing for his “It’s Not Serious” column, while Diana Breit Wolfe won second place for her “Dear Reader” […]
| By Diana Breit Wolfe
I had lunch with two dear friends at Jason’s Deli recently. For some reason, our conversation turned to real estate and housing back in the day. My friend Susie married in 1958 at age 16, and my friend Joann married in 1961 at age 18. Their first homes were rentals, either an apartment or a […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Anything can go viral these days. Take cottage cheese. Often associated with dieting and salad bars, cottage cheese was rediscovered a couple years ago by internet influencers who claimed it could be used for all sorts of fabulous things. Gluten-free pizza crust? There’s a cottage cheese recipe for it. Ice cream and Alfredo sauce? Ditto. […]
| By The Active Age
Quilt artist to show work ANDOVER — Quilt artist Dottie Evans will be featured artist at Midtown Gallery in Hutchinson through the end of May. A mix of her art quilts, modern quilts and traditional quilts ranging in size from wall hangings to bed-size quilts are on display. Most are for sale. Evans, the owner […]
| By Ted Ayres
“The Shadow of War” by Jeff Shaara (St. Martin’s Press, 2024, 349 pages, $30.00) Jeff Shaara is one of the most prolific authors of our times, with 15 New York Times bestselling novels to his credit. They include “To Wake The Giant,” “The Eagle’s Claw” and “The Old Lion.” He also wrote “Gods And Generals” […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Use the clues below to identify popular songs featuring animals, real and imaginary. The answers appear on page 29. 1. Tom Jones had a huge hit in 1965 with what feline song used in a Peter Sellers’ movie by the same name? 2. What popular nursery rhyme and fingerplay song describes the adventures of an […]
| By Jim Miller
Navigating Social Security as It Downsizes How Seniors Can Save on Auto Insurance Where Solo Agers Can Find Help How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft Scams How to Choose a Volunteer Vacation Navigating Social Security as It Downsizes Dear Savvy Senior, Can you offer any tips to help seniors save on their auto insurance? […]
| By Jennifer Lasley
Each year, the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) celebrates Older Americans Month in May. Led by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), this year’s theme, “Flip the Script on Aging,” encourages a transformation in how individuals perceive, talk about and approach aging. “When I think of ‘flipping the script,’ I consider my own […]
| By Angie King
Caring for a cherished person is an act of love —one that many people willingly take on for aging parents, disabled partners, or chronically ill family members. However, behind this selfless act is a serious challenge, caregiver strain. This term refers to the mental, physical and emotional exhaustion that can result from caring for someone with […]
| By The Active Age
Four musicians with a combined 162 years of service to the Wichita Symphony were recognized during the final concert of the symphony’s 80th season last month. Each received an engraved plaque and lifetime season tickets to the symphony, which is the largest professional symphony in the state. Violinist Chelley Graves (37 years), tubist Phillip Black […]